Of Laughter and Smiles
by SugarDee
Summary: Of Blushes and Heartbeats in Shinichi's POV


_A/N: Just pretend that both Shinichi and Ran wear glasses. And that Shinichi could ride a motorcycle. And that Heiji is the one who's close to Ran, instead of Shinichi like the real manga._

_Warning: very long._

_**Disclaimer:** All characters belong to Aoyama Gosho._

* * *

><p>OF LAUGHTER AND SMILES<p>

It was my first day of teaching in my former university. I remembered how ecstatic I was after I got the news that I would be the new part-time lecturer. I still couldn't believe that the time had come after a month of thinking of weird scenarios where I would show up late for my first day or I would forget to wear my trousers.

I leaned back on my swivel chair and suddenly my mind went on a trip down the memory lane.

**-FLASHBACK-**

"I'm very disappointed in you, Shinichi Kudo." The professor shoved my paper into my face. "If this was the best you could come up with, you'd never get the first prize for that writing competition you're planning to join."

Even though he might not sound angry, his words were just as sharp as a knife. All I could do at that moment was just grip my bag on my lap, afraid that I might slam the table in front of me if my hands were free.

"When I first saw you in class, I thought you had the potential. Your essays were mostly well done." The professor leaned closer with his voice getting even lower and more dangerous. "So please enlighten me as to why this writing of yours lacked of emotions and feelings."

"I'm sorry," I finally mumbled.

He sighed. "Sorry doesn't change anything," he replied as he shook his head.

I chanced a look when I heard him busy shuffling the stack of papers at his side table. He seemed to be looking for something as I saw him checking for the owners' names. After a few seconds, he got to the middle of the stack and took the paper to shove it under my nose.

"I'm sure you remember on your first day here that I asked all of you to write a story under 30 minutes, just to see how good you really were." As soon as I nodded, he continued, "I did it to the new students yesterday and that paper," he gestured with his chin, "was the best one I've ever read." He slowly looked up with his eyebrow raised. "She's probably better than you."

Nobody would believe how much I really wanted to punch him in the face. Not only did he insult me, he had to do it with an attitude too. However, I held it in (albeit barely) and took the paper into my hand to check how good this girl really was.

To say that I was shocked was an understatement. It was really the best amateur writing I'd ever come across. The way she wrote the characters, how the story was told and how the characters interacted with the surroundings made me realise how incompetent my writing was.

But what angered me the most was that she was still in her freshman year. _How could she write so well when she just got into this university? What if she was actually an undercover writer?_

I cleared my throat as I realised that I babbled about nothing in my head. I raised my eyes to see the name of this girl. It was Ran Mouri. She lit up the fire within me; I had to beat her.

"She's good, isn't she?"

I immediately looked up at the professor's voice. I almost forgot that I was still in his office. I cleared my throat again as I reluctantly put down the paper into the table. "Yes," I admitted.

"She's got the talent. Too bad she's still new. Otherwise, I would have asked her to join the competition too."

_Lucky for me, she didn't. Or she'd definitely win the first prize._

The professor took Ran Mouri's paper back to the top of the stack, deflating my fighting spirit. How I wished I could borrow it, which was clearly impossible because that would mean cheating.

"So are you still going for the competition or have you given up already?"

_Did he really have to ask me a silly question like that?_ "Yes, I'm still in."

"Good," he said. "Now go out and look for some inspirations for a new story. Learn more on how to make it better. Dig deeper to get into the character's shoes."

"Yes, sir." I then stood up from the seat and took a deep bow. No matter how much I disliked his attitude, I had respects for him because he was one of the best lecturers.

Before I could open the door, he stopped me, making me turn around again. "My door is always open if you ever need any help."

My lips quickly formed a smile. I bowed down several times, deeply thankful for his offer. I knew he would help me with this. "Thank you, sir. I will not disappoint you anymore."

"I hope so."

I bowed down once more and walked out of the office. I had probably the biggest smile plastered on my face as I started towards the elevator to go back home. How could I not? I was excited to join my first ever writing competition. I would definitely win the first prize and show the others that I could do it.

I had to prove the others, especially the professor, that I could write much better than Ran Mouri. I had to win and beat her.

**-END OF FLASHBACK-**

And now here I was, in my own office. Even though it was small, I still felt grateful that I had my own. I could even place my trophies on top of the desk across from me. I could show them off to my students.

I grinned at that crazy thought.

"Hey Shinichi, isn't it time for your first class?"

A new voice broke into the comfortable silence. I looked up and there was my fellow part-time lecturer, standing by the door. How he opened it without me knowing was beyond me. "Hey."

Heiji Hattori replied the same hello with a little wave of his hand. "Why are you still here? Your first class is starting soon, isn't it?"

I took a glance at my watch and widened my eyes at the time. "Why didn't you come earlier?" I mumbled as I hurriedly picked up a whiteboard marker, a pen and two books from the table. I pocketed the two stationeries into my chest pocket, standing up from the seat. I heard a soft laugh. "What's so funny?"

"You panicking," he answered, smiling. "Anyway, here is the attendance list of your students." He handed me a piece of paper with names on it. "There aren't that many students, so you can relax. No need to be so nervous about it."

I took the paper from him and slipped it into the book so it wouldn't be wrinkled. I didn't have time to look at the list since I was late. "Thank you. Now I have to go. So if you please." I stretched out my right hand and gestured him to go out of the office.

He just laughed and patted my back before we went our separate ways, not forgetting to wish me luck. I shook my head in amusement as I walked to the elevator. He was a really nice person, no matter how annoying he could be sometimes.

As I waited in the elevator going to the top floor, I opened one of the books on my hand and took a look at the attendance list, intending to see how many students I had. As I was about to get to the bottom, my eyes caught a familiar name. _Wait, Ran Mouri?_

DING!

I finally reached my destination. I walked out and leaned back on the wall nearby, my eyes never leaving the list. I blinked several times to make sure I wasn't dreaming. Her name was still there. _She's my student!_

It was her who motivated me to become a better writer. It was her who set the fire within me to be more descriptive. It was her who drove me mental back then, struggling to write better for my first competition.

I snorted. _I haven't even met her, yet she drove me nuts. _I looked up_. I wonder how she looks like._

Then I saw a petite girl reading a book not too far away from me. _Ran Mouri might look something like her. I imagine she's a really cute girl. _I paused._ But what if she wears thick glasses with braces?_

I sighed as I hung my head. _This is not helping_. I took a deep breath and put away the paper before walking for the rest of the journey to the class. _However she looks like, I'm fine with it. It's not like I'm asking her to be my girlfriend or anything_.

I took another deep breath as I stood outside the class. I should be nervous about teaching my students, but I realised that I was more nervous about meeting that girl. I opened the door so suddenly that I even surprised myself. I cleared my throat and walked in.

I could have sworn I heard some gasps escaping from some of the students. Stopping at the centre of the small classroom, I looked at them. Some looked really curious, some uninterested. _Well, here goes nothing_. "Good afternoon, class. My name is Shinichi Kudo. And I'll be your lecturer for this class."

Everyone was shocked. Their eyes looked like they were going to pop out. Their jaws were as if they were going to be dislocated because they opened their mouths so wide. I found the situation funny because I imagined this would happen (_I _am_ one of the youngest lecturers in the department, after all_).

I smiled. "I'm sure all of you think that I don't look like a lecturer. Actually I just graduated a few months ago. While waiting for some job interviews, I took a part-time job here at the university." I placed the books on the table and opened up my arms. "And now here I am: your part-time lecturer."

I heard a few giggles from the left side of the class. _I wonder if one of them is Ran Mouri_.

I started walking from that side with my hands behind my back, thinking of what to say next. _Ah yes!_ "Please don't call me Sir, because," I looked back at the students, trying to analyse how old they were. I should be a year or two older than them. That thought made me smile. "I'm still very young and active."

Another set of giggles broke out. This time almost the whole class joined in.

"I will answer if you call me by my name. And even Senior." I looked around, this time trying to figure out which was Ran Mouri. All of the girls were cute, so it didn't really help me in anything. They all looked 'suitable' to be her. I inaudibly sighed and added, "Everybody got that?"

"Yes, Senior."

I flashed them another smile, satisfied with the answer. "Good." I went back to my table in front. Then I saw the attendance list inside one of the books. _Oh yeah, I can use that to call them. Then I will know who this mysterious Miss Ran Mouri is_. My smile turned into a smirk.

I looked up. "Since it's the first class, let's just relax." I picked up the list and walked towards an empty table to take a seat. "Let's get to know each other, shall we? Well, my name is Shinichi Kudo, as you all know. I just graduated five months ago from School of Communication with a major in Journalism. I'm currently waiting for some job interviews. Hmm, what else?"

"Do you have a girlfriend?"

Every girl in the class giggled, whereas the boys just rolled their eyes. "No, I'm single at the moment." Before any of them could ask another question related to my love life, I continued, "And that's all about me. Now it's time for _your_ introductions." I could tell that the girls were all disappointed. I smiled in amusement and looked at the paper on my hand. "If your name is called, please stand up and tell me a bit about yourself."

As I got closer to her name, I got more nervous. My heart started beating like there's no tomorrow. It's not like I was going to be punished if she's called. _So why am I so jumpy?_

"Ran Mouri?" I tried my best to sound nonchalant, even if I was still anxious.

There was silence in the class. I looked up from the piece of paper. _Don't tell me she's not here?_ "Ran Mouri?" I repeated, louder. _Maybe she didn't hear me_.

There was a loud screech from the chair followed by a loud "Yes!" coming from the left side of the class. A girl just literally jumped out of her seat. She had long straight black hair tied at the back so it wouldn't bother her, a pair of glasses perched on her nose and a plain-looking white t-shirt donned with a black cardigan and black jeans. She was one of the simplest girls I'd ever encountered, yet very attractive. _I really hope this is her_.

"Are you Ran Mouri?"

"Y-yes. Yes, I am," she replied, looking uncomfortable with all the attention. "I'm sorry. I was … daydreaming."

I smiled. My heart soared as I finally met her. _She's much cuter than what I've imagined all this time_. I cleared my throat, hoping that I looked casual (even though I felt like I wanted to fly). "Tell me something about yourself."

"Err." She was definitely not prepared as she blushed like a tomato right then and there. "My name is Ran Mouri. And I'm in my last year." She immediately sat down before I could even say anything.

I smirked again. _This will be an interesting semester_.

* * *

><p>I was inside my office, re-reading a story written by one of my students for the umpteenth time that day. I could never be bored reading this because the writer always had me captured. I turned back to the first page, revealing the writer's name: Ran Mouri.<p>

It's funny how a smile was easily formed just by uttering her name. I only met her two months ago and this was what I had turned to? _I wonder what I'd do if we had a face-to-face meeting._

Shaking my head as a sigh broke out, I put down the assignment paper and turned my attention to my laptop screen. Several PDF files were opened containing Ran Mouri's academic reports done by her former lecturers. It wasn't a surprise that her essays were all excellent; she really did have a talent when it came to writing. But why she had never joined the competition was beyond me.

A knock on my door made me look up. It was Heiji Hattori so I just nodded to let him in. "Hey, Heiji."

"Shinichi" he said with a smile on his face, as he took a seat across from me. "How are you so far? Coping well with your students?"

I nodded. "So far, so good. Nobody's been called in here yet," I joked, making us laugh for several seconds. "Everyone did a good job in their first assignment. So marking was a piece of cake."

"Or the assignment was too easy for them," Heiji said, still with that annoying smile. "Well speaking of, are you going to participate in the writing competition again this semester?"

"I'm still thinking about it," I answered, shrugging my shoulders. "I mean yes, I have more time now. But I have to let the other students shine too." I flashed him a toothy smile.

Heiji narrowed his eyes whose gaze then fell to the stack of assignment papers on the table. He took the topmost paper. "Ran Mouri," he read. "Hey, she's my neighbour." He looked up. "We even attended the same schools back then."

"Really? How was she?"

"She's a really nice girl. Very quiet and shy; but once you get to know her, she's a fun person to hang out with." He looked away. "I remember how hard it was to ask her to come out and play."

I tried so hard not to sound interested. "Why was that?"

Heiji diverted his attention back at me. "Due to some family problem, she lives with her father now. That's why she felt that she needed to stay home with him." He paused. "She's very independent. That's why a lot of boys liked her. But none were accepted."

My heart went from beating fast to normal again as a relief washed over me. "Why?"

"She wasn't interested, I guess." He stared at me for a few seconds before a smirk formed on his face. "Why are you suddenly so curious about her?"

"Can I not be curious about my own students?" I mumbled, forcefully taking Ran Mouri's paper from him and putting back to the stack. "The thing is she got the highest grade for the assignment. She writes like a professional writer, but why haven't I seen her compete before? That's what got me wondering."

"She's too shy maybe." His eyes then widened as he seemed to have an idea. "Hey, why don't you ask her to join? I'm sure she's going to say yes."

"How are you so sure?"

He smirked. "Because all she needs is a push," he answered. "Besides, you said it yourself: she writes like a professional writer. Why waste her talent, when she can join the competition?" He paused again. "You can even compete with her to see who's a better writer." He smirked again. "You're dying to know that, aren't you?"

It was a good idea, I admitted. I wanted to see if my level had increased in terms of writing. It was important because she was the reason why I competed in the first place; to show that I could win the competition.

The next day, I decided to call her to my office after class. The poor girl looked so nervous that I had to resist the urge to laugh. Well, I couldn't blame her. I'd never called anyone to the office yet. So I flashed her a smile as I said, "Please take a seat, Miss Ran Mouri."

She did as she was told. But she still didn't look calm enough. So I smiled again, hoping she could at least loosen up a bit. "Don't worry. You haven't done anything wrong." _Except for making me work hard to prove myself that I could beat you_. "At least not to me."

A weird laugh was released. _I guess she's still nervous_. Letting out an inaudible sigh, I diverted my attention to the essays in front of me and started to search for her paper. "Anyway, you know that I've done marking your assignments." I finally found it. "And I must say," I looked up with a smile, "I'm impressed with your essay."

A look of relief crossed her face. "Ah, th-thank you, Senior," she stuttered.

"Your style of writing is very different from other students, which makes it an eye catcher." It was true: all of her essays were unique and never boring, which was why she got the highest grade.

I saw her face start to redden as she looked down. _I have to say: she looks cute when she's blushing_.

"The reason why I called you here was to ask you to participate in the upcoming writing competition. Would you be interested in joining?"

She blinked, seemingly confused and shocked at what I had just said to her. "Pardon?"

"I want you to participate in the writing competition." I must have turned mad because I couldn't stop smiling at her.

"B-but." She seemed to take a deep breath and clear her throat. "But I don't think I have the potential."

_She really does need a push_. I looked down to her paper and shoved it to where she's sitting. "I think you do. Oh, wait. I _know_ you have the potential." As an encouragement, I gave her a smile. Again.

She just looked up and stared at me. So I continued, "This might make me sound like a stalker, but I did some research on you." I leaned back on my swivel chair, both hands supporting my chin. "All of the essays that you've written so far in this university were all very well done." _And one of them had changed my life_. "I'm surprised that I've never seen you compete before."

She smiled sheepishly. "I've never had the confidence to submit my writings to competitions."

Heiji was correct after all. "Why not? You're very good at this."

I guessed I complimented her too much because she then let out a small giggle that was barely audible. I couldn't help but laugh because I really thought she's cute.

"I'm sure you would get the first place. The other competitors are nothing compared to you." _I won several times because of your writing. Of course you would win._ I then leaned in closer. "I should know because I used to join before. And I always saw the same names and faces. I'm pretty sure the competitors will be the same too this semester."

Ran Mouri looked down.

"You're one of the best writers I've ever encountered, Ran." Shoot, I didn't mean to call her that. "Oh, I hope you don't mind me calling you that."

Shaking her head, she replied, "No, that's all right. But, Senior," she looked up, "do you really think that I'm one of the best writers out there?"

I shook my head just to scare her a bit. "I _know_ you are," I replied as I smiled again. I guessed my plan worked out because she started giggling and blushing. _She really _is_ a cute girl_.

"So, would you join the competition with me?"

She must have been so surprised at my question that she suddenly stopped giggling. "With you? What do you mean?"

"I'm planning to participate again this semester." I paused and stared at her. _I will never let the chance to compete with you go to waste_. "I'd like to compete with you."

Her eyes widened and she started to stutter again, "B-but you … why?" She seemed to have nothing else to say and ended up whining at me. "You … that's not fair!"

I found the situation funny because it really seemed like she'd opened up to me even though she was so quiet a few minutes ago. I suddenly remembered what Senior told me, and it made me laugh. "Why isn't it fair?"

"Because …" She started looking around as if searching for something. Then she seemed to find it as she looked back at me and gestured to the trophies I had got so far. "The trophies! You won so many times before in the writing competition. So what chance do I have to get the first place?"

I resisted the urge to roll my eyes and sigh. In the end, I just rested my chin on my palm and pretended to be calm. "Don't you have the confidence you'd win against me?"

"No!" she immediately answered, vigorously shaking her head.

Out of the blue, a great idea popped up. _She just needs a little push and she will definitely say yes to this._ I smirked. "Fine, how about we make a little bet? If you win, I would decrease the workload for you guys, by half. If I win …"

"Please don't tell me you're going to increase it," she cut my words immediately. "It's too much already."

"So what do you suggest I do?"

Ran stayed still for some time, seemingly thinking of an answer. Then, I saw an evil smirk on her face. _Oh boy, I'm not going to like it_.

"If you win, you would have to treat everyone in class for lunch or dinner, whichever you prefer."

It was my turn to be shocked at her suggestion. Even though I had less than 30 students in class, that didn't mean that I could afford to treat all of them. I saved my money for a reason!

"You're not serious, are you? This is not fair. How do you expect me to pay for you guys?"

She tilted her head slightly to the side. "Doesn't first place get money as one of the prizes?"

"Yeah, but I'm saving it for my future."

She sighed. "So what do you want to do, if you win?"

Staring at her, I contemplated about what to do if I won. Actually it wasn't such a bad idea to treat my students. But I knew I couldn't treat them all at once. But if it was just for one person … A smirk came to my face as another idea came up. _It's like killing two birds with one stone_.

"If I win, I'll treat you to lunch."

She blinked in confusion. "What's the difference with what I suggested before?"

"The difference is in the number of people I'm going to treat." _And I've just asked you out on a date_.

It took her a few seconds to realise what I meant. Then I could see a blush starting to creep to her cheeks again. She looked away as if not wanting me to notice anything. Too late; I saw everything and it made me laugh as she looked adorable.

Before she returned home that day, I told her everything about this competition: the due date, the categories, the length, etc. I also told her that I would be around if she ever needed any help. This was, in no way, cheating because this was her first competition. Not only was she my rival, she's also my student. She needed every help so she wouldn't back out of the competition.

As soon as the door to my office was closed and I was sure that she's not within earshot anymore, I let out a "Yes!" with a punch in the air. I couldn't believe that she actually agreed to the bet. The thought of me going out with her if I won the competition was enough for me to smile like an idiot for the rest of the day.

* * *

><p>Days passed and it was the last day of submission. I'd submitted my writing a few days ago because I had to prepare assignment questions for the class too. Now that the assignment was ready to be published, I could take some time off on this nice Saturday.<p>

I should go out because it'd be a waste to miss on the fine weather. But going alone would be weird.

I looked to my left where my cell phone was. A great idea popped out, making me grin like a Cheshire cat. I grabbed the small device and immediately opened the "Write a New Message" screen with a giddy heart. Then I stopped. I had to have an excuse. _I can't just ask her out, can I?_

My eyes wandered off to my laptop showing the webpage of the writing competition. I smirked as another great idea appeared. I wrote, "_Hey, Ran! Have you submitted your essay yet? :D_" and immediately pressed the send button without even re-reading it.

A few seconds flew but no words from her. Impatient, I dialled her number.

It was a long phone call but of course I didn't mind. It was nice hearing her voice again after a day had passed (_less than a day, even_). But my heart seemed to beat like a drum playing a rock song as I asked her to go out. It took some time for her to finally agree with me; it's worth it though. _I have a date with Ran Mouri!_

I literally jumped off of my seat and walked to my closet to prepare for the simple meeting. Since it was a Saturday, I picked up a handful of T-shirts (instead of formal ones) and threw them to my bed to choose from. I went on trying on shirts in front of the mirror for 10 minutes.

After I was finally satisfied with the supposedly casual attire, I stood in front of the mirror again. Should I wear my glasses or contact lenses? It took me another 10 minutes to contemplate between the two choices. I ended up using the latter because I wanted to look different from what Ran usually saw me.

Checking out my reflection again, I walked out of the house and quickly turned on my motorcycle's engine. I put on my leather jacket and helmet and off I went to the café we agreed to meet in.

A few minutes later, I arrived at the destination. I took off my helmet and checked out my reflection on the mirror to make sure my hair looked fine. I unzipped my jacket and placed it on the seat. With my heartbeat pounding fast, I tidied up my attire and entered the café.

I smiled as I saw her sitting in front of her laptop. She's wearing a white hoodie jacket and a pair of ¾ dark blue jeans. With her glasses on and her hair tied, she still looked like the Ran Mouri I knew from the university. Not that I mind, because she always looked great to me, no matter what she wore.

She looked genuinely stunned when I was walking towards her. "Why do you look so surprised to see me here?" I asked as I took a seat from her.

Ran shook her head vigorously. "No, not that. It's just ... you don't look like a lecturer today."

I laughed wholeheartedly. "Thank you, I guess. Well, today is my off day. So I just put whatever clothes I saw in front of my eyes." _Yeah right. Do you know how long you took to choose the white shirt, Shinichi? _I cleared my throat and smiled. "Sorry if I was late by the way."

She shook her head again. "I just arrived."

_Perfect_. "So what do you want to drink? I'll order for you."

After we both got our drinks, she wasted no time in doing the assignment straight away. Lucky for me, she only had the soft copy of the assignment questions on her laptop so we had to sit on the same side. Even though I was really nervous, I put on a smile to show otherwise.

You would not believe how fast my heart pounded that day; it felt like I joined the marathon. A smile never left my face especially when she had to grab me tight as I accelerated through the traffic. It was the best day I'd ever had.

* * *

><p><strong>A month later…<strong>

It was the announcement day; the day I'd been waiting for. I was sure Ran must have forgotten about it so I decided to call her. And I was correct: she was so busy doing her assignment that time flew without her consent. Well, that's what I thought anyway.

I also decided to pick her up which she refused at first. She said the way I rode my motorcycle was dangerous. I could only laugh at that.

In the end, she finally agreed and here we were, standing next to each other at the venue. It was already filled with participants and judges. I recognised almost everyone and greeted them as we passed.

"Senior."

I heard her calling out to me. I turned my face to her who looked nervous.

"Are you sure they're not undercover writers? They look like they've published a lot of books."

I chuckled. "Don't worry. They're all amateurs just like you and me." I put my hand behind her back without thinking. I gently pulled her along to walk closer to the stage. "Come, it's starting soon."

Then the main event began. It started with the winners of each categories of the submission. I wish her name wasn't called because it wouldn't determine winning the first place of the whole competition. And my wish came true: her name was not among them. I released an inaudible sigh and crossed my arms across my chest.

Next was the announcement of the main winners: third place, second place, the readers' favourite and finally first place. Even though I was supposed to be wishing for myself to win, instead I wished she would. I took a glance at Ran.

She was biting her lips. Her hands were linked together as if praying. Knowing she was nervous, without thinking (_Again_) I took her hand and held it on mine. She seemed to be surprised as she looked at me with her eyes wide open.

"Don't be nervous," I told her as I smiled and patted the back of her palm. "It'll be fine."

She quickly took her hand back and looked away as a slight blush appeared on her cheeks. "Easy for you to say. It's not your first."

I chuckled and leaned my body towards her. "Honestly, I'm nervous too."

She looked back at me in disbelief. "Why? I don't believe you."

"I don't know." I shrugged. "Probably because of the bet."

"Ah, Senior~" she whined. "Do you have to remind me about the bet again?"

I laughed softly. "What? Don't you want to decrease the assignment burden too?"

She pouted her lips. I just smiled and patted her shoulder as I saw the MC was ready to announce the winners.

* * *

><p><strong>A week later…<strong>

I checked my reflection once again on my motorcycle mirror as I stood outside Ran's house. I couldn't believe that I actually won against her. It's a surprise because I always thought her essays were better than mine. _I must have levelled up then_, I thought in amusement.

For a first-timer, Ran was great. She actually won the second place. I was so happy that I pulled her into my arms. Those few seconds felt like an hour as it was a blissful moment. I immediately let her go as I noticed the prying eyes. She was too embarrassed to look at me to congratulate me as I won first place. I could not stop smiling as I realised that I'd have a real date with her.

I turned around as I heard the front door open. And there she was, making my heart skip a beat by looking so sweet and adorable with a soft pink camisole and an elbow-length cardigan, plus jeans and glasses to add it to her trademark. This time she had her hair loose, which was the first I'd ever seen. She looked so beautiful I wanted to hug her right then and there. But I held it in and instead smiled to compliment on her appearance, "You look great, Ran!"

She immediately looked away but I caught a smile and blush on her face.

"Are you ready?" I asked as I offered her the helmet. As soon as it was strapped safely, I zipped up my leather jacket and put my own helmet. After a warning from her was uttered ("Don't speed up please"), we were off to my favourite restaurant near my house.

It was small, yet comforting. And since the weather was nice, we chose to sit outside. After the waiter took our order, Ran looked around the area whereas I just admired the view right in front of me. _I still can't believe that I'm out with her!_

"Senior, can I ask you something?" she started as we both waited for our meals to arrive.

I nodded to let her continue.

"Why did you insist me in joining the writing competition?"

I smiled. "It'd be a waste of your talent otherwise. You even won second place even though it's your first competition. That means you're a great writer." I leaned closer. "Aren't you glad that you participated?"

She blushed again as she looked down. She took a few sips on her drink and looked up again. "But why did you seem like you wanted to win against me so badly?"

"I guess it's time for me to tell you the truth."

She tilted her head in confusion.

So I started telling her the story about my first competition; everything from the meeting with my professor, to the latest competition a week ago. She was so immersed that she only looked at me even when the waiter sent our meals to the table.

I finished off with a wide smile. "So thank you for being an excellent writer."

She blinked. "Ah, no. I should be the one thanking you for pushing me." She looked down. "I never would've thought that I would win second place. It was unbelievable."

"I remember that feeling." I paused for a while and looked down to find the meal staring at me. "Well I guess we'd better start eating before the food gets cold."

The date went really well. Ran was more relaxed now which was great. And I found her to be more attractive as we got to know each other more. _My crush is not so small anymore_.

We were both now standing in front of her house. As she took out the helmet, I noticed how messy her hair was so I reached out to help tidy it up. The distance between us was so close I could see the blush on her neck too. It made me smile how a simple gesture like this could make my heart jump.

"Thank you, Senior, for the date today," she said as she bowed 90 degrees at me. She looked up and smiled. "I had fun."

I grinned. "You're welcome. But I have a question: it was actually a date?"

She actually hit me gently by the arm, causing me to laugh. "Just kidding. It was a really fun date." I paused to think about the sentence I'd been dying to say next. I decided to just go with it. "We should do this again next time."

To my surprise, she nodded (albeit with a visible blush on her cheeks). "Okay."

After another bow was exchanged, she went inside her house while I put on my helmet and turned on the ignition of my motorcycle. Throughout the journey to my own house which was literally on the other side of the city, I couldn't stop smiling. It was the best date I'd ever had (_well, not like I had a lot of dates to begin with_).

* * *

><p><em>AN: This turned out to be longer than I thought. Almost twice as long as Of Blushes and Heartbeats. Anyway thanks for reading, and don't forget to review please._

_Til next time.._


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